5/15/2010 - 5/31/2020Nico gave me the best 10 years of my life. He was such a sweet and playful pup even til his last day. He had such a unique personality. Partly because my family is very big and he adopted bits of all our personalities. He loved meeting all my friends and he’d greet strangers like new friends of his. He was the light of my everyday. It’s gonna get harder to keep pushing through but I know he’ll give me light up ahead on the journey.Erika PuentesChicago, IllinoisJune 2, 2020

I got Nico August 15, 2010. My cousins and I had just finished a soccer game. Nico was a stray dog someone had found and was going to take to a shelter. Nico looked a bit malnourished and had patches in his fur at the time, and he was also very scared. Despite all that we thought he was the cutest dog and we weren’t allowing him to go to a shelter. We hid Nico for the first few hours, before we broke the news to our parents. I had picked him to be mine but I needed help convincing my parents. There were about 9 of my cousins all surrounding Nico so my parents knew he’d now be a member of our family. All My cousins pitched names after names and none of them felt right, but when my cousin pitched Nico it was as if he agreed because he looked up when his name was called. As our family grew bigger and bigger, Nico became all the more loved. He was the first family dog after all, so he was everyone’s favorite. He was very spoiled with love and attention. His favorite thing was breakfast, every morning we fed Nico white chicken breast. One of many things that always made me laugh, when anyone came over he’d rush to greet them at the door but just seconds after he’d rush to his food bowl. He was honestly the best pup I could ever ask for.

"Miranda was very kind with our pup Nico and the family. She gave us the time we needed and explained the process with gentle words and warmth in her voice."

7/12/2011 - 5/23/2020Obi was a happy and sweet dog and we loved him very deeply. I hope he knew how grateful we felt that he was our dog and no one else's. We love all of our dogs but Obi was special and can never be replaced. He will always have an Obi-shaped place in our hearts and will never be forgotten.Carolyn AlonzoChicago, IllinoisMay 26, 2020

Nothing I can say will give Obi proper tribute or convey what an amazing dog he was, but I'll try.Obi came to us in June of 2011 after being relinquished to our city's animal control facility and spending almost 3 weeks there. He was ultimately rescued by Pal's Place and then he found our way to our home. We never changed his name because my husband is a big Star Wars fan so it was meant to stay. He was such a sweet, quirky, silly and feisty dog. But he came to us with separation anxiety and a terrible fear of rain and thunderstorms. We worked with him and even his canine siblings tried to comfort him during these anxious times. He eventually grew out of his separation anxiety after lots of work and his fear of storms faded somewhat over time. There was little he could do wrong, or maybe that's just the way we saw him because we loved him so much. He loved car rides where the wind would make his enormous ears flap. Going on long walks where you'd have to make him go home, barking at people who walked by our house, chasing after his canine brother and sisters and getting a case of the zoomies whenever we came home also ranked as favorites. But I think his favorite pastime was snuggling on our (his) couch and hibernating under blankets. He was attuned to our feelings and would pick up on stressful or sad times and seemed to try to comfort us by lying close by. He was truly a family member and we tried to give him nothing but the best.

"I cannot properly express the gratitude my family feels for this service and in particular, for Dr. Maura. This was our first time having a vet come to our home for this purpose so we weren't sure what to expect. She treated us and most importantly, Obi, with respect and with such dignity. She made a horrible experience almost pleasant. We are forever grateful."

2/20/2005 - 5/17/2020To my Dime with all my love, we will miss you. We will remember you and honor you always.Rita KurganOak Forest, IllinoisMay 18, 2020

I got Dime when he was 5 years old from people who could not give him the care he needed. During this time in my life I was a single mom living in a bad neighborhood. Dime being a lover not a fighter as most pits are provided the look of menace without the go and get em attitude. He was heavy lazy and out of shape haha. He would walk a block and then just lay down and not get back up. But he was my rock my old man my best friend, my protector and he was my heart. He loved my kids and anything I brought into the house. He was so laid back he had no a care in the world. He took the good with the bad and never ever got mad at me or the kids. Bad days he was there without fail. He never let me down. I will forever be in his debt in life and in death. Dime lived to be 15 years old and the 10 years and 2 months he was in my life I will never ever forget. I will miss him everyday. I will continue to love him everyday. Thank you Dime for teaching me and loving me and my family.

"I want to thank Dr. Tyler for his kind heart his patience and his understanding in all this. He didn’t rush us he gave us the time we needed and he answered all our questions and concerns. He was really great in this time where we hated the world. Thank you so much"

7/22/2007 - 5/5/2020my Ranger Danger, you're the best boy.when you get going, you are faster and more agile than any cheetah ever recorded. i know you only let all those squirrels and bunnies get away from you not because you were slower than them, but because your kind heart didn't REALLY want to hurt them. your floppy ears are the softest material known to man, and i am the luckiest person to have gotten so much quality time with them.i look back on our pictures together, and i'm comforted with the knowledge that we had a good run, baby.i love you, my best friend, my first born, my sunshine. my Ranger Danger, my best boy. i love you and i miss you, and i will keep your memory with me forever. tqm.7/22/2007 - 5/5/2020Delia GalindoChicago, IllinoisMay 15, 2020

Ranger met many people and was immediately loved by every one of them. He was a beagle through and through and was very food motivated, and tricked SO MANY PEOPLE into giving him food. He taught me how important it is to soak up as much sun as possible and to take note of the little things. and to smell them. He taught me that the 3-second rule is maybe one of those rules that's...more of a guideline?He loved food and sunshine and snow and beaches and patios, he loved smells and his hippo toy and people and really, he just loved loving. He was a happy dog, and I couldn't have asked for a better companion.

"Dr. Johnston was very kind and caring, and his warmth and compassion was felt even under the PPE we're all underneath these days. Thank you for your kind words and work."

3/23/2004 - 5/5/2020It was time. A time none of us want to face, but it was time. Snags was my dearest little friend whom my wife, Anne, and I shared many wonderful times. We annoyed the hell out of him for the last two + years as we had to hand feed him twice a day in order to give him his insulin shots. He was a terrible eater, but being the sweetheart that he was, he put up with us. As many of you have probably experienced with diabetic animals, he lost his sight as well as his hearing. Snags never made any of that an issue. As it is said, uncompromising love and affection. Snags, as you crossover the Rainbow Bridge, make sure you find Shelby, Max and Bear. They know you're coming. Send our love.DON KAPLANBuffalo Grove, IllinoisMay 7, 2020

"Miranda was terrific-caring, respectful, professional and made us feel as comfortable as could be expected.. What really blew us away was when it was over, she placed Snags in her blanketed basket that had a pillow, laid him down gently and covered him with another blanket with his head showing. He truthfully looked comfortable and at ease. Thank you Miranda for helping us with a very sad day."

5/1/2003 - 4/25/2020One week ago, with the compassionate guidance and help of Dr. Miranda at Lap of Love, Cherubino, her loving companion cat and I had to say goodbye to our dear, sweet Tessa. It has been a heartbreaking experience and our grief is palpable in the apartment, but I am comforted by the fact that Tessa, who had almost made it 17, is no longer in any pain or suffering. As a good friend said to me the day I made the appointment with Lap of Love, our family animal members can’t ask us for mercy. We just have to give it. I am eternally grateful that I had 5 weeks at home due to the CVirus. This allowed Tessa and I to sit right beside each other every day while I worked so I was able to be with her every waking and sleeping second until the end of her life in this realm. She was with me for 16 years and I was her person. She was bonded to me in a way no other pet has ever been and I have had many. She needed to be held. She loved being picked up and for me to just carry her everywhere and the second I sat down, she waited for me to get comfortable and then jumped up in my lap. Tessa needed me with a certain ferocity none of my other cats have. We had an extraordinary bond. Tessa had dementia as she was getting older, along with arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome, so she was beginning to visibly suffer on many levels when not sitting in my lap or sleeping right beside me. She knew me, but seemed to have forgotten her surroundings entirely. It is with profound sadness that I released her from this realm but I know she is in a place of bliss now and the suffering is gone. Tessa, we miss you profoundly.Camille GiffordChicago, IllinoisMay 4, 2020

I got Tessa in New York City where I lived for many years. The ASPCA frequently puts out a van on 72nd street and Broadway and a week after my last beautiful cat, Sebastien died, I saw the van and there was Tessa, sitting in one of the windows, waiting for someone to take her home. She was almost a year old at the time and there were also many kittens. Everyone was wanting a kitten, but I wanted a full-grown cat. She looked so lonely and scared but also beautiful. I took her home and she became my forever soul-mate.

She is named La Contessa, (The Countess) after the character from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. I am a former opera singer and I was singing that role at the time with a company out in Brooklyn called Regina Opera. It was one of my favorite roles to sing. I got Tessa about halfway through the rehearsal period of that production. Tessa was always very regal and we all lived with her, not the other way around. She ran my house. She was a lap kitty and loved to eat. I got her a companion cat 3 years later. She was really not too happy with that arrangement. It took almost a year for her to accept Cherubino but they came around and eventually became fast friends. Cherubino (also a character from Figaro) misses her, too and cannot quite figure out what to do with her gone. We will adjust and endeavour to always honor her in every way.

"Dr. Miranda was our angel of mercy. I told Tessa about her 24 hours before the procedure, after I had made the appt., so she would be prepared for Dr. Miranda to come and help us take Tessa to meet Johann and Sebastien, my last two beautiful feline companions who had gone on 17 years ago. Dr. Miranda was compassionate, clear, knowledgeable and kind and assisted us in ways we can never forget. I am eternally grateful for the option to have Tessa put to sleep in our home and not have to take her out to the vet’s office as that scared her so much. Instead, she died peacefully in my arms in the room where she and I spent the last 5 weeks every day sitting beside each other. Thank you, Dr. Miranda. You will always be a part of our experience."

10/26/2009 - 4/19/2020Dingo passed away surrounded by those who loved her most on Sunday, April 19th after being diagnosed with cancer. Dingo was loving, silly, loyal and definitely my shadow... but above all else, and most importantly, she was my best friend. She helped me through the hardest parts of my life; she kept me active and healthy. She loved her walks and hunting squirrels and chasing geese. I miss those walks with you, just spending time with you outdoors, car rides, cuddling in bed, and showering you with love (and treats!) You were the best dog I could have ever asked for and I love you so much and now there is an emptiness in my heart that can never be filled again. My sweet girl, I miss the heck out of you and will never, EVER forget you.Stacey SchwiesowArlington Heights, IllinoisMay 1, 2020

Dingo was a funny dog with a cute personality. She was definitely a people-pleaser and would relish in doing things that made her a "good girl" as long as you mentioned it emphatically; such as being wrapped up in a towel and having her paws wiped clean after coming in from a messy day outside, jumping up on the scale at the vet's office, and even wearing mommy's winter hat! We taught her a trick; when we would say "Ta-da!" she would sit back on her hind legs and she knew this meant she would get chest and belly scratches so eventually she would just come sit next to us on the couch and do this because she wanted the attention. Another silly thing she would do is if we were standing near her and she wanted attention, she would cautiously walk over and "Turtle Up," (hanging her head and tucking her butt under) before collapsing on the ground in front of you and rolling onto her side, exposing her belly for tummy scratches. Dingo had many funny mannerisms, just naming a few.

"Dr. Christie is beyond amazing! I feel like whatever I put in writing can't even begin to express my sheer graditude for this beautiful person. She has to be one of the kindest people I've ever met and to put it in my mom's words, "this profession suits her perfectly and I hope she continues doing this for a long time." She made something so difficult a little smoother (well, probably a lot smoother, actually.) I felt like she was truly there for my dog those last couple months through hospice, just as much as my mom and I were. And she definitely didn't rush those final moments; she told us to take all the time we needed and I KNOW she truly meant every word. Everything was so perfect and beautiful; worthy of my girl who was so perfect and beautiful. You’ve been truly, TRULY amazing and I’ll never forget it."

10/14/2006 - 4/23/2020Having to say goodbye to my baby, Sweetness, was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my entire life. All dogs are special but she was my heart dog, my soulmate and truly the first love of my life.

We said our goodbyes in my moms backyard and gave her the most beautiful send off that we possibly could. I smudged and called in the 4 directions to bless and protect the space and to have spirit with us to help guide her home. I was able to hold her in my arms as she passed and her sister Bellaboots was able to be next to us.

I have always told anyone who was willing to listen that Sweetness saved my life. She found me when I was in one of the darkest places and brought me back to life. Among the many things she taught me, the most profound was how to give and receive unconditional love. She truly was my angel.

Throughout the 13.5 years we were together we had some of the best adventures. She always brought something extra special to every experience and I don’t think there was ever a person who she didn’t immediately win over. She would invite herself up on your lap whether you were ready for it or not....It was as if she assumed everyone showed up JUST for her to love them. Her puggle snuggle was the best and absolutely impossible to resist.

The sadness and grief that I’m feeling right now is so intense that I’m physically in pain. I know that it’s not going away anytime soon so I’m just trying to remind myself that she’s not suffering anymore. She went blind a few months ago and shortly after she developed dementia that progressed pretty rapidly. Despite how challenging this quarantine has been, I’m so grateful that I could be with her for every single one of her last minutes to hold her and comfort her when she was so disoriented and stressed.

Sweetness Marie, I will love you forever and will never stop being grateful for your presence in my life. Bellaboots and I will miss you always.Jennifer KecChicago, IllinoisApril 25, 2020

"I am so grateful that I found Lap of Love. This was truly one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make in my entire life and Lap of Love did everything they possibly could to make it easier. From the very first second I was on the phone to the very last second that Sweetness was taken away, I felt so held and supported. Dr, Tyler could not have been more kind and compassionate in assisting her with her transition. He has a very gentle soul. So so much gratitude and love to Dr. Tyler and the team at Lap of Love."

12/18/2008 - 4/8/2020Murphy was our first dog and he will never be forgotten.

When he left us last week, the rain begun to pour. But just as he was at peace the sun reappeared with a beautiful sunset as if he was sending his loving sweet smile once again to say everything would be alright.

We love you, Murphy. You were the bestest boy. There's only sunshine now over the Rainbow Bridge.Kristin GraceChicago, IllinoisApril 17, 2020

My goofy, silly boy came to us one rainy night when I found him abandoned on a sidewalk, his leash looped over a cold metal fence. We knew this angel was meant for us when we brought him in and he devoured cans of tuna in sloppy gulps between manic kisses and running around sniffing everything. We named our new best friend Murphy.

That was just the beginning of our adventures as Murphy spent his life Loving, Smiling, Playing, Running, Borkin', Goofin', and Pulling me right along behind him. We would take long walks. I remember being depressed some days when walking with my baby was the only thing to cheer me up. I'll miss our wandering adventures and trips to the lake. He was always there for me. His favorite game was rope and if he got you to hold on, he would tug for hours! At night he would snug up; he was always cuddly and loving; his favorite position would be curled in a ball and snuggled in tight behind my knees. He loved meeting people and he loved everyone he ever met to the very end!

"Dr. Miranda was very helpful in such a difficult time. She was everything we needed her to be."

9/16/2006 - 4/11/2020Mika was a big part of our family, she gave us a lot of good memories and laughs through out the years. She will be missed, but she is now watching down on us with our other dog Balto. We are glad that the two of them are reunited, but sad that it was time for Mika to leave us. The last few days have been very empty without her, and we will always miss her. Until we meet again Mika 💙Gina Guzzielmwood park, IllinoisApril 13, 2020

We got Mika on december. 6th 2006. The 1st week we brought her home was definatey a handful. From rolling around in mud puddles, to pooping in slippers, tearing up couches, and jumping up on tables on all 4 legs to get to hot chocolate that was left on the table. That was all just the first week we had her, needless to say it was a very eventful 13.5 years with her.

Her favorite foods were Hot Dogs and Pizza. However she never turned down human food and made sure to guilt you into giving her some. She wasnt like most dogs, she didnt like leaving the house for walks, she absolutly hated having to leave the comfort of her home. However loved being out in the back yard running around especially in the winter. We have many treats burried in the yard to prove it, including the treat she burried on her last day with us (maybe she is planning on coming back for it)

She was our best friend and our doggie dime (10/10 on the looks scale) and she always will be.

"Christie was amazing, she made this hard time a little bit easier for our whole family."

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